WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today commended her colleagues on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for helping advance legislation to officially restore the nation’s tallest peak, Mount McKinley, to its traditional Koyukon Athabascan name, Denali.

The energy panel on Tuesday approved the measure by voice vote, clearing it for consideration by the full Senate.

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“In Alaska, we don’t refer to it as Mount McKinley; we just call it Denali. That’s what we’ve called it for decades and decades,” Murkowski said. “We, as Alaskans, aren’t shy about reminding folks about how big and how beautiful Denali is, and that it’s ours. Making Denali the official name of America’s tallest mountain really means something to Alaskans.”

North America’s tallest peak has been called by many names over the years, but it is commonly referred to by most Alaskans as Denali. Murkowski’s bill, S. 155, would make Denali the official name of the Alaska landmark. Denali is the Koyukon Athabascan name meaning “The High One.” 

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